Over the last four decades, Phillip Griffiths has been a central figure in mathematics. During this time, he made crucial contributions in several fields, including complex analysis, algebraic geometry, and differential systems. His books and papers are distinguished by a remarkably lucid style that invites the reader to understand not only the subject at hand, but also the connections among seemingly unrelated areas of mathematics. Even today, many of Griffiths' papers are used as a standard source on a subject. Another important feature of Griffiths' writings is that they often bring together classical and modern mathematics.